Sony's Live Service Fairgame$ Facing Disaster After Brutal Playtests And Founder Exit

Haven Studios' upcoming multiplayer game Fairgame$ is said to have run into big problems. This is becoming a worrying trend for Sony's live service strategy. The project, which was once seen as a key part of Sony's big live service plan, is now being looked at more closely after some worrying internal events and bad playtest results. 

In the middle of these problems, Jade Raymond, the founder of Haven Studios and a veteran of the industry, suddenly quit the company, which makes the future of the game even less certain. A new report from Bloomberg says that Jade Raymond's sudden departure happened right after Fairgame$ had game testing done by people outside the company. There was no official reason given for her leaving, but reports from inside the studio say that things were already not going well. 

The input from these tests, which were done under the code name "Project Heart," is said to have shaken up the developers. This external playtest, which was accessible through the PlayStation Network, gave a small group of players their first hands-on experience with the game. The results were not good.

According to sources, a podcast about PlayStation, players said the game was "super clunky" and didn't have an engaging hook. It was said that the game, which combines parts of battle royale and extraction shooters, felt generic and lacked purpose. It uses gameplay elements from games like Fortnite, Escape from Tarkov, and The Division, but it doesn't seem to have the polished, smooth gameplay that you'd expect from a big first-party title.

At first, the idea of Fairgame$ was written with a dollar sign, which was called "Fairgame$." It was first shown off during the same event that showed off the failed Sony live service game, Concord. Fairgame$ is a stylish, modern-day Robin Hood-inspired heist game where teams of players compete to steal from high-security vaults spread out across large cities. Three- to four-person teams are dropped into big maps and have to get loot while avoiding other teams and security systems run by AI.

At first glance, the game looked like it could be fun. Its bright graphics, rebellious style, and competitive multiplayer mode suggested a mix of action and strategy that tactical shooter and fast-paced team-based game fans might enjoy. But now, almost four years after Haven Studios was founded and more than two years after Sony bought the company, the title seems to be in a mess.

Several insiders have stated that the game is still in the pre-alpha stage and that recent hands-on testing did not make people excited. According to players who took part in the test sessions, the gameplay felt awkward and uninspired. The movement mechanics, shooting responsiveness, and general "feel" of the combat were criticized the most, which is an important area for any live service shooter that wants to break into the genre.

The problems that Sony is having with its live service roadmap are echoed in this story. The company had said before that by 2026, it would release more than 10 live online games. But since then, some of these projects have been put on hold, reorganized, or quietly put away. The problem with Fairgame$ is even worse because it has a lot in common with Bungie's Marathon, which is also an extraction shooter made by Sony. That game has also had problems with development and received mixed reviews internally, which has raised worries about duplication and market saturation within Sony's ecosystem.

This situation is similar to Concord's failure, which was taken off the market and returned soon after launch because it received bad reviews from both critics and users. Some people who worked on Concord said that its development team had "toxic positivity," which meant that feedback loops didn't find core gameplay problems early enough. It looks like Sony may be having a similar problem with Fairgame$, and some people are warning that the same thing could happen again.

As of now, Sony has not made an official comment about the current state of Fairgame$, nor have they explained why Raymond quit so quickly. They have said, however, that they will continue to back Haven Studios even though it has new management. This shows that the publisher isn't ready to give up on the idea completely, yet.

Still, there are signs that a new look at things may already be happening. A lot of money was put into Haven Studios and the Fairgame$ IP, even though they hadn't shipped anything before. It was always a risky move. Some people have said that Sony may now regret giving the go-ahead to a full-scale AAA live service project from a new company, especially since the project isn't making any real progress and the community isn't really excited about it.

Since Sony started pushing its live service, the game market has also changed a lot. More and more, players are wary of games that focus on making money or online engagement loops over giving players a full, important experience. To compete with established giants like Warzone, Fortnite, and Apex Legends, which have years of polish, live content, and huge fan groups, your game has to be truly exceptional. As of right now, the information we have shows that Fairgame$ is not meeting that level.

It's still not clear what will happen next with Fairgame$. If Sony follows Concord's lead, the show might be canceled. Sony is probably considering whether more money could save the game or whether going in this direction will only lead to another public failure. Sony is at a crossroads because it is under increasing pressure to show that its studio acquisitions and live service plan are paying off.

What happens with Fairgame$ could be a sign of what will happen with Sony's plans for its live service in the future. The project might still be able to find its place if it can right the ship, which could be done with a soft start or a complete makeover. But if the bad feedback keeps coming in and players don't show much interest, the writing may already be on the wall.

For now, the game community is keeping a close eye on things. Not only does it matter if Fairgame$ will stay alive, but also if Sony can handle another mistake in its increasingly troubled quest to be the best live service provider.